TOCHIGI (TR) – Tochigi Prefectural Police have re-arrested a 33-year-old Vietnamese national for allegedly cultivating over 200 marijuana plants at his home for commercial purposes, reports NHK (Sep. 25).
Pham Dinh Ngoc, an unemployed resident of Ashikaga City, has denied the allegations. While admitting to the physical act of gardening, Ngoc told investigators, “There is no mistake that I was growing plants, but I didn’t know it was marijuana. It was not for profit.”
According to police, Ngoc is accused of growing 207 cannabis plants at his residence in Yamakawacho.
The illicit operation was uncovered in July when officers searched Ngoc’s home in connection with a separate investigation. During the raid, police seized approximately 2,900 grams of dried marijuana with an estimated street value of 14.5 million yen.
Following the discovery, Ngoc was initially arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for profit, and subsequently re-arrested on suspicion of illegally overstaying his visa.
Despite the suspect’s denials, police believe Ngoc was operating a large-scale cultivation operation specifically for illicit street trafficking and are continuing their investigation.
